The definition of work has changed a lot over the past few years. As more people discover the benefits of working remotely, the competition in the freelancing industry has gone viral. It’s increasingly harder for a freelancer to find a project, especially if he targets a high-paying client.
Many freelancers earn more than what they would receive from their full-time employers. And because they don’t spend money on gas, lunch meal, and office clothes, some freelancers earn more than $100,000 per year! If you want to a4chieve this level of financial success, you need to find high-value clients. Here is how to do it.
Define Your Ideal Client
One common mistake of a newbie freelancer is to take whatever job comes his way. He doesn’t care what niche is it or how much he will earn from it. All he wants is to kickstart his career in any possible way.
Don’t accept just any job, especially if it’s not within your niche, because it doesn’t help establish your credibility, plus you’ll be tieing up hours on work you don’t want to do.
You cannot serve all clients because each of them has unique concerns that they need to solve. To help you identify the client you want to work for, ask yourself these questions:
- What industry needs my service the most?
- What kind of company do I want to target?
- What are their common pain points?
- What kind of people do I want to work with?
Don’t Price Yourself Cheap
In freelancing, there is a common phrase “cheap clients are looking for cheap freelancers to deliver cheap results.” In a way, there’s a truth to it. Many freelancers only provide a service that commensurates to the compensation that they receive. When they are getting paid low, they deliver low-quality work. When the client pays them high, they tend to double their effort to prove that they deserve the rate.
Are you thinking about dropping your rate to attract many prospects? Think again because even if you do this, there will always be freelancers who will accept a job lower than your rate. While it is true that an affordable rate helps attract many prospects, it mostly draws low-value clients, which will not set you up for long-term success. Setting a low price defeats your purpose of appealing to quality clients only.
Set your prices to weed out low-paying clients. If you know that you are an expert in your niche and you can provide outstanding service, there is no reason to settle at a low rate. This strategy is effective in attracting high-value clients that you want to work for.
Join Freelancing Marketplaces
After identifying your ideal client and rate, the next step is to start searching for clients. There are so many ways to look for clients and one of which is to create an account at top freelancing marketplaces. Only choose two to three platforms to use when looking for a job as other sites don’t deliver positive results. Don’t waste your time and effort creating a profile on platforms that don’t do you any favors.
Sign up with top freelancing marketplaces like Upwork, complete your profile, and set a high rate to attract high value clients only. This platform has thousands of job posts being published every day and many freelancers find high-value clients here. The drawback to using this site is that you have many competitors from all over the world, many of which charge clients half of your asking price.
If you want high-paying clients, go to niche-specific freelancing sites like ProBlogger and Remote Work Hub. On these platforms, the competition is less saturated, so its easier for you to stand-out. However, since niche-specific platforms are less popular, it might take some time before you get a client.
If you don’t have an account in LinkedIn yet, now is the time to get one. LinkedIn is the social media for professionals where you can find the CEOs and hiring managers of top companies. Check company information and employee reviews and submit proposals to trusted companies within your niche. You can pitch your service directly to hiring managers by sending your proposals with a link to your portfolio through email. The more proposals you send, the more chances that you’ll land a job.
Many freelancing marketplaces can help you get high-value clients. Start using these platforms now, but avoid Craiglist and Kijiji as many quality clients don’t use these platforms anymore.
Provide Value to Your Clients
You can find high-value clients through referrals from your past and present clients. For this reason, you must deliver quality work to all your clients and treat them with respect.
Most clients expect that your output is based on the instructions they gave you. It’s essential that you completely understand what he wants you to do at the beginning of the contract. If you don’t understand something, feel free to ask until you get your client’s instructions clearly.
Another way to provide value to your client is to make them feel that you are always available when they need you. If the client thinks that you are there supporting their business, they will also make you feel the same. From time to time, ask your client what more can you do for them. This strategy is one way to show that you care about their business and, in effect, increases your value as a freelancer.
Need Help in Finding High-Value Clients?
Congratulations! You’re closer to getting high-value clients. If you need additional information to boost your confidence before you start looking for these clients, a good freelancing training can help you.
